Plaintive

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /ˈpleɪntɪv/

Definitions

1. Expressing sorrow or melancholy in a way that evokes sympathy or pity
2. Mournfully sorrowful in tone or expression, conveying a sense of longing or lamentation that appeals to the listener's compassion
3. Characterized by a sad, wistful quality that communicates grief or yearning in a manner designed to evoke emotional response

Etymology: The adjective "plaintive" is a close relative of "plaintiff", the person who brings a lawsuit. Both come from the same Old French stem, "plainte", meaning a lament or complaint, and in medieval French that sense ran straight from grief to the courtroom. A person who lamented was, in effect, complaining, and the word "plaintif" in Old French could describe someone who was aggrieved or mourning. English borrowed the idea in Middle English as "pleintif" or "plentyff", and the sense of sorrowful complaint stayed with it. The two words split apart over time and became doublets: separate English words descended from one source. "Plaintiff" kept the legal meaning of the person who files a complaint in court, while "plaintive" narrowed toward the emotional tone of a sad, mournful cry or voice. Today a plaintive song or a plaintive whistle sounds wistful and sorrowful, which is the feeling the old French lament carried.

Synonyms: sorrowful, mournful, melancholy

Antonyms: joyful, cheerful